


Riotous

by EkkoLogics



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst, Blood and Injury, Drama, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, wen junhui is a rebel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28543761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EkkoLogics/pseuds/EkkoLogics
Summary: They never found the body of the one and only boy Wen Junhui truly ever loved.And no one ever will.No one seemed to care about it but those who shed tears for him. However, Wonwoo's disapearence was oddly familiar to a butterfly's flutter. And everyone knows what that meant:There would have been enormous consequences.
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 5
Kudos: 3





	1. Subversion

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first ever fanfic, I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. The title of this fic may change in the future, so make sure to save it just in case if you don't want to lose it!
> 
> This idea first came to me when I was listening to a playlist, but I won't spoil what it was about until the right time comes. 
> 
> My first language is not english, so excuse me if this is a bit messy sometimes. Don't be afraid to correct me!! 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy and remember:
> 
> A butterfly's flap may have enormous effects at the other side of the world.

They never found the body of the one and only boy who Wen Junhui truly ever loved.

And no one ever will.

He was just taken away from him. As if he wasn’t a person. As if he wasn’t a human with connections, with a story to tell and people to care about. As if he was just a simple name in the vast fields of this Kingdom.

Because that’s all he was. Jeon Wonwoo was just a name. He had no power, no gold or relevance to the people. He was just a pawn in someone else’s checkmate.

Memories of that day flooded his thoughts on a daily basis in a poor attempt to connect the missing dots. Why did he just vanish? He spent countless nights trying to finish a puzzle with pieces that he didn’t have. He skipped so many meals because Jeon Wonwoo was not there to tease him about how stupid his hate for carrots was, he wasn’t there to remind him to keep his clothes clean or to properly take care of the flowers.

_Jeon Wonwoo wasn’t there and he never will be again._

And that’s a reality that Junhui will never accept. Not when the kind of peace this filthy kingdom had was based off of people’s suffering. How easy it must be for the king to send knights to the low villages and incite fear among them, he thought. It wasn’t fair. And although he grew up knowing how insignificant his life was, it still was unbelievable to him. How could someone cause so much pain and suffering to their own people, only to then mask it under a thin layer of peace and prosperity?

  
“Don’t think too much about that prince” Wonwoo had said to him a few weeks before he went missing. “Arent you happy that you only need to worry about your crops?” He chuckled softly and ruffled Jun’s hair in a playful way, as if knights hadn’t destroyed his house yelling at eachother in a stupid attempt to find a subversive to behead in the main plaza. An act only carried to spread order and fear.And the truth is that Jun was truly happy with the life he had. He didn’t complain about it and had everything he needed to survive “I guess I am” Was all that he said that night, shrugging his shoulders with a small sigh.

Time felt so limitless when he was with Wonwoo. It felt like a child’s dream, like he was living a fairytail. But now that he wasn’t here there was no tomorrow to hope for, there was no kingdom to be proud of or knights to be afraid of.

He knew, the second that wonwoo didn’t show up in the forest, there was something wrong. But he never thought it would’ve been this bad.

He remembered he dismissed it as his lover’s clumsiness. “Maybe he forgot about it and now he’s rushing my way, hair too messy to comply to his fake excuses” He thought. Giggling softly at the thought he just made in his head.

Oh, how wrong he was when he smiled with that.

All junhui could hear was the soothing curse of the river, it was so calming. He had his eyes closed and his mouth shut, mumbling little melodies he used to sing with wonwoo. People from the nearby country usually bragged about how marvelous and breath taking their sceneries were, but to Jun there was no other place that felt so much like home than this forest.

Then everything fell apart.

In a blink of an eye he wasn’t hearing to the river anymore, it was something way louder and messier that caught his attention. For a split second he thought it might have been some kids messing around with the baker’s bread again. But this was worse, these shoutings were too panicked to be caused by a simple children’s game.

He stood up and started walking towards the main plaza, screams could be heard everywhere and it made his stomach drop so fast that he almost felt too weak to continue. He knew what these noises meant, just like the way he usually knew he was fairly safe hidden amongst the trees. The thing is that Junhui didn’t think of that. Head too foggy with one thought.

Where the hell was wonwoo?

He sprinted faster until bright flames could be seen from the main plaza. He could’ve said there were people running away in fear, but there was no one around. Screams could still be heard from the distance and faint noises of what Jun recognized as horse’s hooves. His body froze in that moment. Small tears prickling his eyes at the image of his own plaza being set on fire. And even though he knew how dangerous this place was right now, the truth is that he didn’t run. He didn’t scream or tried hide. He just stood there, knowing to well that even if he wanted to do something – help anyone, it was too late.

Never in his life did he learn something so clearly. Fear is the main weapon of obedience, the easiest way to indulge submission and tameness.

And junhui was afraid. He gave in to submission and quickly ran away to hid in the forest, his pants too heavy and his chest too tight. He ran without looking back. The last thing he wanted right now was to see his people so devastated, because he knew what awaited him if he had run that way. Pools of blood, doors on fire, children screaming in fear and despair… Children who would wake up tomorrow and realize they have no mommy or daddy to cuddle up to anymore. Young people that had to grow up too fast just because they needed to survive. Children like Junhui, who’s reality was so unstable that even an ant’s blow would cause a hurricane. That was the kind of peace this kingdom had.

He didn’t know how much time he spent curling against a tree, mind racing too fast to think clearly and too slow to understand anything. When he finally started to hear the river he forced himself to stand up. Carefully, afraid to make any kind of wrong move that would get him killed.

For a second nothing made sense, his mind blocked the danger away and he was left with pure and utter confusion. Until he remembered him.

He found himself praying to a god that he never believed in. Hoping that nothing had happened to his lover. And with eyes still teary and his chest hardly moving he started running back. This time to wonwoo’s house.

He remembered how his mother once told him that hope was the last thing people loose. And he believed her, but as soon as he saw Wonwoo’s house everything fell to his shoulders.

Ashes were already scattered in a floor of a house that could barely keep itself standing. No roof could be seen and instead, he found himself staring at a huge flame. It felt so hopeless, so heartbreaking. Everything wonwoo had ever worked for was gone. His efforts burned away with the same fire that was consuming his own house.

It took him a second to examine the house and conclude no one was there. Wonwoo must’ve been on his way to the forest to meet jun, there was no way he was still inside.

He spent hours searching for him that day: in the devastated plaza, where he could no longer smell flowers and instead found himself gagging at the rotten smell of dead things; the forest, where he hoped wonwoo would be, waiting for him with his bright smile and ready to say something silly; the main church where they would once swear their love to eachother; hell, even in other people’s houses.

But there was no sight of him.

He came to a conclusion after knocking on what felt like the hundredth door that night.

“I’m sorry darling” A rather old lady had said to him in a tired voice. He didn’t blame her, everyone was tired and afraid. But he noticed a different kind of tiredness. The kind that only appears when people feel defeated and exhausted. The kind of tired that hides a sad word behind. “I saw some guards taking him with them”

And that was the moment when Junhui changed. He wasn’t happy being a farmer, living his life in fear of what might happen in sake of peace. He wasn’t happy being responsible of a farm and only a farm. No, Wen Junhui didn’t have a happy life. 

Weeks had passed from that incident and he was still thinking about it. Crying to Wonwoo during the night and watching the moon, hoping that Wonwoo could see it as well from wherever he was. Bruising his knuckles against trees and cursing at no particular person during the day. He felt as if he had no future anymore, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. Nothing could be felt anymore, not even the hurt he should've felt when he broke his hand against a tree. 

Until one day he heard it. The laughter of children once again. Birds chirping and bakers announcing the just baked bread. He heard how loud and simple his town was, how happy everyone seemed when no danger was near. There was too little to do when this kind of reality settled amongst the village, and it was clear that everyone loved to enjoy peace before it was too late. 

He realized how scared people were of being confused by a rebel, never speaking more than what they should have and most importantly, never naming those who werent among them anymore. People who got unlucky and had their life taken away because of a simple rumor, a simple book or even a simple song. Pawns too useless to care about and too precious among their kind, perfect to become a living proof of what rebellion meant in this kingdom. Boys and girls like Wonwoo, who probably wouldn't hurt a fly even if they wnted too.

And that's when Jun understood it was too late for him. He could no longer enjoy simple life when all he could think of was how cruel the royalty were, how carelessly they must've killed Wonwoo and disposed of his body. There was no shyness or fear when he thought about injustice, no respect to owe to anyone but Wonwoo and his friends.

That day he swore two things.

To find Wonwoo, or whatever was left of him, and take revenge of those who gained profit out of people’s misery.

And most importantly, take down the king for ruling in such a wicked and cold-blooded way. He would not only make his way up there, but he bowed to call him out in all the wrong doings of this kingdom. There was only hate and determination running through Junhui’s blood, as time passed by he realized how his fears slowly faded away. Leaving behind the sweet and caring jun everyone once knew, only to be replaced by a man who he did not recognize anymore.

A man made of wrath and loathe.

A boy who did not fear for his life and instead, gained confidence by becoming what he truly was underneath the mask he carefuly built.

_Wen Junhui had become a subversive._


	2. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"What doesn't kill me, well it better run like hell._
> 
> _you better run like hell"_

Having subversive ideas and becoming subversive oneself were two polar opposites. That’s the first thing Junhui learned when his mind became louder than his voice. He thought there wouldn’t be any differences, since in theory there were almost the same thing. However, he started to realize the huge gap between them when he heard some drunk man walking thought the streets.

Having insurgent ideas meant being quiet to survive and walk by knights without the need to be interrogated. Being a rebel though. He learned that it meant running away to survive. And from that moment he realized, running away was no longer an act of fear, but instead it became an act of rebellion itself. After all, it wan’t the dead that carried a revolution. He settled on the idea of eventually having to escape, sooner or later his mask wouldn’t be enough to cover his doings. 

He wasn’t going to run now though. He didn’t need to.

It was the first Monday of the month, and everyone knew what that meant -- sadly everyone did. The small village that’s usually so crowded and lively will start losing it’s life and warmth as winter arrived. Small waves of coldness will start creeping their way into daily life, slowly but surely announcing the start of a season everyone hated.

Everyone but the royals, Jun thought. He knew he would start seeing less and less people around the main plaza, the market would close some weeks later in an attempt to earn as much money as the owner could. Maybe he could survive this winter and live long enough to enjoy another summer. That of course if he didn’t get sick, robbed or even rummaged by the law. But from the distance he could see very well how the royals were doing.

From this height he could see a few boats heading upriver, proudly flying their bright flags. Royals. They’re the only ones rich enough to use private transportation. While they enjoy wheeled transports, pleasure boats, even high-flying airjets, people like Jun got nothing more than their own two feet, or a push cycle if we’re lucky.

A castle could be seen from the hill, too big for it to be missed and too small for it to hog the view. The perfect size to see from a distance the warm light that it poured out during night from its windows. The kind of warmth no one in this village could afford, the same kind of heat that marked the difference between those who had power and those who didn’t.

He was almost nine when his mother had told him that there was no other way to endure the winter but with a small blanket. He realized warmth was a luxury he would never be able to enjoy during cold seasons. He learned that same winter that medicine was more than a luxury for him, way more out of reach than heat was. Of course his mother never whined about it, she didn’t even complain or made Jun work to earn a few pennies to at least buy medicinal herbs. A real mother would put up with all the pain and hide it from their sons for their sake. And that’s what Jun’s mum did. She died a few weeks into the winter, the beginning of January to be precise. Almost 3 weeks away from the current date, he became aware of.

Wonwoo never complained about it either, he could never complain when he was near Jun. ‘Life is too short to be complaining’ what was he told him one day in front of the main plaza, where no soul could be seen. And he was right, but Jun understood it too late.

_Don’t think about it_

Wonwoo was gone and there was no point to cry to him anymore, he had to grow up and change things so that no one had to ever say again that ‘life was too short to be complaining’. That was the reason why he came to this place to begin with.

Down the street and across from the boutique there was a florist. A simple shop that usually smelled like jasmines and lavenders, filled with flowers that the owner both sold and occasionally gifted to people passing by. Everyone in this town was fond of kind and sweet Seungkwan, the golden boy of this place as Jun would usually say. But what not everyone knew was that he was not so sweet and kind behind curtains.

Seungkwan was like an orphan, his parents left him when he was only eleven years old. As far as Jun knew, his father joined the military to bring some income to their home and his mother had become a tailor for the higher classes. She didn’t work for the royalty, she just got sent to the main town to work for whatever industry he didn’t know. Seungkwan had raised himself ever since then, he like other children also had to grow up too fast to survive. And growing up also meant that he had to understand that he wasn’t going to see their parents in a long while, he never did anyways. 

The flower shop was not too big and it was there in plain sight for everyone to see and make use of during the day. However, things turned a bit different when the sun set behind the hills. They say the best way to hide things is to not hide them at all, and boy were they right. Seungkwan’s flower shop was not just a simple place to buy flowers, it was a meeting place for the subversive. It was a very well-kept secret between a few people. And wonwoo was one of them.

He never joined them neither did he want to, he just knew about it from a friend’s friend. They thought he would’ve joined, but he didn’t. He told jun about it in one of his dates, ‘I don’t think violence should be used to solve anything’ he had said. Wonwoo never favored violence or disorder. He feared challenge and disobedience like a small child would fear spiders. Wonwoo was truly a boy of peace and he used to always try to project that onto Junhui. Of course he complied, because his love for the younger was way stronger than that small bitter taste he had on his mouth each time he admitted he liked the way they lived. But now that he was gone there was nothing to stop him, Junhui wasn’t scared.

And Boo Seungkwean wasn’t the golden boy everyone thought he was either.

Inside the shop there was a small door that led to seungkwan’s back home, it was big enough to fit maybe 20 people. Everyone knew he lived behind his shop, but the things he did back there? No one would’ve ever guessed it. Not even the royal knights would’ve been able to uncover his veil. He was just that careful and methodic.

The room they were in right now was almost asphyxiating. There were no windows in sight and the air was so thick that he could literally feel it all over him. Wood doors closed both exits he might’ve had to escape if something went wrong, they were of coursed locked and guarded by two people who had their back confidently pressed against the doors. It was cold outside and people were going to start dying of hunger and illness in a short amount of time. But for some reason this place felt oddly warm and safe.

“We got a newbie, I see people are starting to get tired of this huh?” Seungkwan left out a small chuckle as he gazed at Jun. He was sitting on the table, head tilted to one side as he slowly got up from his seat. “What made you flip? Was it house, your crops.. hm, maybe your siblings-“

Another boy from across the table shook his head before tossing a coin to the middle of the wooden table. He was sitting on the left of Sungkwan’s original seat, legs folded over the table. “I bet it was his house”

“No way dude, it must’ve been his siblings” Another coin added to the middle by another boy, this time one that was standing on the very corner of the room. Jun was quiet through it all, he was not afraid tho. Even as Seungkwan got closer to him to inspect him. Now he was really curious about these people.

A few more coins made their way to the table, he could guess there were around 10 copper coins on the pile. Enough to eat for 4 days Jun thought.

“If none of your people guess correctly do I get to keep the coins?” There was a rather sharp and intimidating air among them, even though he could tell no one would harm him if he didn’t get too smart or snappy.

A laugh could be heard from behind Seungkwan, tossing two coins on the mountain of money. The highest bet yet. “It was your girlfriend, wasn’t it?” Said a rather smooth voice, a woman.

Jun knew he had to assert some kind of ground in this place, he wasn’t here to play or be played after all. So he stepped forward and collected all the coins, a dozen eyes fixed on him as he moved. He noticed Seungkwan smirking from the corner of his eyes, ‘you’re bold kid’ was what he understood from it. Before anyone could complain he put all 10 coins inside a cloth bag, tossing three to the last girl to talk.

“Close enough, it was my boyfriend” He closed the bag and tied it to his belt. “Better luck next time guys” And with a small teasing smile he turned around to face Seungkwan.

Seungkwan didn’t seem to be one to mess around, and from what Jun could tell he had made a great first impression. There was no doubt that Seungkwan somehow liked what he had just done and how he had just presented in front of the others.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we got a new Crow” He said as he gave Jun a small pat on his shoulder, turning Jun around to face the rest of the group. Everyone looked at him in surprise, probably still astonished by the coins situation.

_The crows._ he made a mental note to ask about that name another day.

The room was big enough for Jun to clearly see everyone’s faces. There were a few people who seemed hesitant and wary of his presence, but as soon as Seungkwan spoke every inch of doubt seemed to go away.

“Welcome to the club twink, don’t get youself killed” The boy next to Seungkwan’s chair said as he clapped slowly. He was soon followed by a small chants of ‘welcome’s’ and a few more claps. No one moved from their places though, they just nodded slowly and waited for Seungkwan to speak again.

“We have a few rules over here, I’m sure you won’t mind them if you’re really on our side” The smaller boy said as he made his way back to his seat and took a small pocket knife from his pocket. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on either him or Jun, he guessed they were all waiting for something in particular or some reaction.

“Rule number one, you’re a Crow now. Which means you will put this place and people on top of your priority list. You will not only lie for us, but you’ll hide, kill and even get killed for us if it’s necessary. Understood?” Jun only nodded, slowly walking to an empty chair as he carefully heard Seungkwan’s words and gazed at his hands playing with the knife.

“Rule number two, you’re either with us or against us. We don’t like traitors; they are worse than scum. You know what that means right?” He pointed his knife at Jun before moving it to his own throat with a smirk. Once again, Jun only nodded. “Good, and finally rule number three: We won’t stop until we change things. Questions?”

“Is it just us?” Jun asked. Because while it was clear that these people wanted some kind of revolution, it was also clear that 12 people wouldn’t be able to overthrow years of misery.

“For now” The boy next to Seungkwan, then stood up and stretched his hand towards Jun “My name’s Vernon, welcome to the club”

A few other people followed him. They all stepped closer and gave him some kind of greeting, whether it was a high five, a pat on the back or a handshake followed by their respective names. He felt strangely at home, all these people around him were determined. He knew that joining an insurgent alliance was like committing suicide in the long run. But still, having these people in front of him felt like someone was lifting a weight from his shoulders. He wasn’t the only one filled with hate and resentment.

Everyone seemed to relax and forget why they were here after they introduced themselves, engaging in small talks with eachother in a way that was so friendly he would’ve never guessed they were trying to overthrow the system. He wasn’t left alone in an awkward corner though. They quickly welcomed him in the circle, spending some time to talk about nonsense and get them to know Jun a bit more.

He learned that Vernon was like Seungkwan's dog, too loyal to leave him yet too troublesome for Seungkwan to take him seriously. Next to him he could spot Xìujìng, he quickly recognized her as the girl that placed a bet on him joining because of a girlfriend. She was tall and thin, black hair left untied to gracely cover her shoulders. She didn't talk much tho, that made her twice as interesting. A few other boys where among them, he could tell one of them was from another country. Joshua talked with a small accent that only natives would notice, the fact that he might've been from another country but was somehow involved in a subverive alliance made Jun think he was probably the one with the most interesting story to tell here.

“So, tell me about your boyfriend” One boy asked, his arm was resting on the table as he slightly leaned against it, almost sitting on it. He matched his face with a name and soon knew he was talking to Sooyoung. However, Jun didn’t reply. How could someone ask something so private as if it was nothing?

“Why should I tell you?” Jun frowned.

“It’s okay, I can go first. My sister died in front of me, she was only seven can you believe that?” A breathy laugh came out of his mouth, Jun noticed way too quickly that it wasn’t the good kind “They thought she had been learning dangerous things but.. She was just reading a book, like any child would. It was so stupid, in a blink of an eye they had her grabbed by the hair and.. you know..” His eyes became teary. This is the reality they lived in, Jun hated it. “They burned the book and told us we were lucky because they were feeling benevolent enough to not kill us”

They weren’t being benevolent, they just liked to hurt weak people and then feel good because they ‘could’ve killed more’. Something inside Jun started to burn as he remembered wonwoo again. He had to put a stop to this as soon as he could. And just as he was closing his hand in a tight fist; just as Sooyoung was about to ask about Wonwoo again, someone spoke louder than the rest.

“Enough chattering” Seungkwan said after a few minutes, standing and looking at everyone in a way only leaders do. “Let’s show our newbie how we dance in this place, shall we?”


End file.
